In scriptures, Egypt typifies the world system, while Canaan typifies the Kingdom of God. The devil is the supreme ruler in Egypt while God Almighty is the one in charge in Canaan. Many people live in Egypt, but God’s will is to relocate and reposition us in Canaan.
Egypt is a place of darkness and ignorance of God, Canaan is a place of revelation and light; Egypt is a place of confinement and limitation while Canaan is a place of no limits and release; In Egypt, people only hear of God’s promises, in Canaan divine promises are handled and entered into; Egypt is a place of tribute and servitude, Canaan is a place of dominion and mastery; In Egypt, there is humiliation and shame, whereas Canaan is the place of honor and respect; The occupants of Egypt don’t have a voice, their words don’t matter but Canaanites have a voice that is respected on earth and in Heaven; Egypt is a place of conflict, while Canaan is a place of peace and harmony; Egypt is a place of doom while Canaan is the place of boom. The list goes on.
Between Egypt and Canaan is the wilderness, which is a place of preparation and pruning for those who have decided to take the journey from Egypt to Canaan. The wilderness is a must pass through. It is never intended by God to be the final destination but a transitory place. The wilderness is characterized by loneliness, visionlessness, desperation, confusion and temptation. The unfortunate thing about the Israelites who left Egypt for Canaan is that none of them except two, Joshua and Caleb made it to Canaan. To enter into your Canaan in a timely manner, the following factors are imperative to note:
The God Factor: When the Israelites left Egypt for Canaan, God purposely led them through a longer route via the Red Sea and not through the shorter route via the land of the Philistines (Exodus 13:17-18). God led them through a route it will be impossible for them to return to Egypt. King David said his times are in God’s hands (Psalm 31:15). God is the Architect behind the scenes designing our lives. A thorough understanding of this fact should engender more trust, patience and obedience from us to Him.
The Attitude Factor: Your attitude is the behavior you exhibit in times of pressure. The Israelites on the way to Canaan experienced many anxious moments in the wilderness. Their constant behavior was to complain, murmur and lash out on their leader – Moses. They constantly doubted and disbelieved God despite so many awesome testimonies. And because of a bad attitude, they were disqualified from Canaan. Job exhibited a very good attitude when he praised God and refused to curse Him in a time of immense pressure (Job 1:20-22).
The Obedience Factor: A man of God once said: “Every act of obedience brings you closer to your Canaan and every act of disobedience takes you farther away” The truth many fail to realize is that God tests us. That next temptation to lie, cheat, compromise and sin could just be your promotion exam. We are only able to overcome the enemies in our Canaan when our obedience is complete (2 Corinthians 10:6).
The Mindset Factor: A man of God said you cannot enter Canaan with the mentality of Egypt, neither can you become a king thinking like a peasant. The wrong mentality the Israelites had in the wilderness was their albatross. Joshua and Caleb were able to enter in because of a renewed mindset (Number 14:24). The journey from Egypt to Canaan is first and foremost an inward journey before it is outward. The word of God is the best mind detergent ever produced(Romans 12:2).
The Favor Factor: “For they did not gain possession of the land by their own sword, nor did their own arm save them, but it was Your right hand, Your arm, and the light of Your countenance because You favored them” (Psalm 44:3). The Israelites in the quoted scripture enjoyed divine favor and entered their inheritance because they are God’s chosen people. Unmerited favor is exclusive preserve of God’s children while common grace is for His creation (Matthew 5:45). To enjoy divine, exclusive favor you must receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and actively cultivate a vibrant relationship with Him.
CONCLUSION: The Psalmist echoed the mind of God explicitly in Psalm 66:12, “Thou hast caused men to ride over our heads, we went through fire and water, but thou brought us out into a wealthy place.” The will of God for His children is not to remain in Egypt, nor to die in the wilderness, but His will is that we inherit and enter Canaan. See you in Canaan in Jesus name. Have a blessed month.
Ade(Gboyega) ESAN
http://gboyegae.blogspot.com
www.rccgpittsburgh.net
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Prayers That Avail Much (May 2011).
Prayer is communication with God. Prayer is an invitation to God and Heaven to intervene and invade our world, situations and communities. Prayer is not optional, it is necessary for the fulfillment of God’s purposes in the world and also in our individual lives. Prayer is man teaming up with God to accomplish divine purposes. Prayer is the primary way we exercise dominion over the earth and God’s creation. A man of God defines prayer as earthly license for heavenly interference. Oftimes, God will only respond to our prayers, in other words, much prayers mean more divine activity and less or no prayers mean little or no divine activity.The truth is that for God’s will to be carried out in our lives, prayer is essential. Prayer is the force that moves the Hand that moves the world.
Prayer is like the umbilical cord that transports food, oxygen and life to the embryo or unborn baby in the womb and in return removes waste from the baby back to the pregnant mother. In prayers, we exhale carnality and works of the flesh, and inhale the life and Spirit of God. The womb is cozy for the unborn baby through the instrumentality of the umbilical cord, for life to be bearable and cozy for us, it has to be through prayers to God. Many people pray and their prayer goes to waste because it isn’t prayed according to the will of God. This discourse intends to reveal how prayers can be effective and also to refresh memories of those who are already aware. The following are the prayers that avail much:
The Prayer of the Righteous: The Bible says the prayer of a righteous person avails much(James 5:16). The Righteous person before God is the one who has righteousness credited to him because of his faith in Jesus and His substitutionary work on the cross. By accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior, the seed of God’s righteousness is implanted in him(1 John 3:9).Because of the seed implanted in him, he is able to bring forth fruits of righteousness with the help of the Spirit and a constant renewal of his mind. The prayer of a sinner is an abomination before God (Proverbs 15:8).
The Prayer of the Humble: Humility is not thinking less of oneself but thinking less of one’s achievements. The proud overestimates himself because of his perceived importance. The humble comes before God stripping himself of any credit, glory and entitlement. He approaches God with reverence and respect. The humble are also described as poor in spirit, a poor person is needy and he looks to his helper and benefactor with respect. The humble don’t have options other than the option of prayer. Approaching God with a sense of helplessness and dependence makes prayer avails much.
The Prayer of submission to the Holy Spirit: The Holy Spirit indwells every born again Christian. He is our Helper in prayers and in this world as we await the coming of Jesus. He is our most trusted Prayer Partner residing in us. He helps us to pray aright and also helps us against the weakness of the flesh in prayers(Romans 8:26). We have to be acutely conscious of Him in prayers. By allowing His leadership in prayers regularly, our prayers become extremely effective affecting not just ourselves but also the world in general.
The Prayer of Faith: This is the currency of Heaven. To bring stuff from the spiritual realm to the physical, confidence in God is a must. Driving a Rolls Royce or being a Harvard graduate don’t impress God but He is impressed by the use of our faith in prayers to Him. Faith impresses God and attracts Him to our prayers(Hebrews 11:6). Faith is agreeing with the Word of God and receiving the Word as one’s reality over and above contrary and overwhelming evidences. Faith is the ability to believe that something exists which you do not presently see.
The Prayer of the Persistent: The story is told of this small dog that was injured in a fight by a much bigger bulldog. On the day following the fight, the small dog returned to continue the fight. The small dog though injured and terribly bruised kept going back to the bulldog day in and day out to fight. On this particular day as the bulldog saw the small dog coming to fight again, it relented and backed away from the small dog. It is said that it is not the size of the dog in the fight that matters; it is the size of the fight in the dog. Those who will keep praying and not give up in prayers will have their prayers avail much(Matthew 7:7-8).
CONCLUSION: Receive grace and aid from the Holy Spirit today and always to be effective in prayers. Happy new month.
Ade(Gboyega) ESAN
http://gboyegae.blogspot.com
www.rccgpittsburgh.net
Prayer is like the umbilical cord that transports food, oxygen and life to the embryo or unborn baby in the womb and in return removes waste from the baby back to the pregnant mother. In prayers, we exhale carnality and works of the flesh, and inhale the life and Spirit of God. The womb is cozy for the unborn baby through the instrumentality of the umbilical cord, for life to be bearable and cozy for us, it has to be through prayers to God. Many people pray and their prayer goes to waste because it isn’t prayed according to the will of God. This discourse intends to reveal how prayers can be effective and also to refresh memories of those who are already aware. The following are the prayers that avail much:
The Prayer of the Righteous: The Bible says the prayer of a righteous person avails much(James 5:16). The Righteous person before God is the one who has righteousness credited to him because of his faith in Jesus and His substitutionary work on the cross. By accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior, the seed of God’s righteousness is implanted in him(1 John 3:9).Because of the seed implanted in him, he is able to bring forth fruits of righteousness with the help of the Spirit and a constant renewal of his mind. The prayer of a sinner is an abomination before God (Proverbs 15:8).
The Prayer of the Humble: Humility is not thinking less of oneself but thinking less of one’s achievements. The proud overestimates himself because of his perceived importance. The humble comes before God stripping himself of any credit, glory and entitlement. He approaches God with reverence and respect. The humble are also described as poor in spirit, a poor person is needy and he looks to his helper and benefactor with respect. The humble don’t have options other than the option of prayer. Approaching God with a sense of helplessness and dependence makes prayer avails much.
The Prayer of submission to the Holy Spirit: The Holy Spirit indwells every born again Christian. He is our Helper in prayers and in this world as we await the coming of Jesus. He is our most trusted Prayer Partner residing in us. He helps us to pray aright and also helps us against the weakness of the flesh in prayers(Romans 8:26). We have to be acutely conscious of Him in prayers. By allowing His leadership in prayers regularly, our prayers become extremely effective affecting not just ourselves but also the world in general.
The Prayer of Faith: This is the currency of Heaven. To bring stuff from the spiritual realm to the physical, confidence in God is a must. Driving a Rolls Royce or being a Harvard graduate don’t impress God but He is impressed by the use of our faith in prayers to Him. Faith impresses God and attracts Him to our prayers(Hebrews 11:6). Faith is agreeing with the Word of God and receiving the Word as one’s reality over and above contrary and overwhelming evidences. Faith is the ability to believe that something exists which you do not presently see.
The Prayer of the Persistent: The story is told of this small dog that was injured in a fight by a much bigger bulldog. On the day following the fight, the small dog returned to continue the fight. The small dog though injured and terribly bruised kept going back to the bulldog day in and day out to fight. On this particular day as the bulldog saw the small dog coming to fight again, it relented and backed away from the small dog. It is said that it is not the size of the dog in the fight that matters; it is the size of the fight in the dog. Those who will keep praying and not give up in prayers will have their prayers avail much(Matthew 7:7-8).
CONCLUSION: Receive grace and aid from the Holy Spirit today and always to be effective in prayers. Happy new month.
Ade(Gboyega) ESAN
http://gboyegae.blogspot.com
www.rccgpittsburgh.net
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